Secrets to Success in Cybersecurity Marketing with Varun Kohli | Be Fearless Podcast EP 25

Be Fearless Podcast by SquareX

Most companies today would have to pay millions for a spot on national TV, but Varun Kohli pulled it off for only $200 – for a B2B enterprise mobile security company, no less!
In this episode, SquareX Founder and CEO Vivek speaks to Varun – Chief Marketing Officer at Cequence Security – about his journey from a computer science background to becoming a leading CMO with a track record of successful exits.
Varun discusses how he chooses the companies he works with, the value of a technical background in marketing, creating memorable brand narratives in cybersecurity and more! Filled with memorable quotes (like “do not have data without a story, do not have story without data”), insights and practical advice, Varun provides valuable takeaways for any founder or marketer facing the challenges of a crowded cybersecurity market.
0:00 Varun’s journey from IIT graduate to being a cybersecurity CMO with multiple successful exits
6:57 People, investors, market size and product: what Varun looks at for companies
8:40 The transition from tech to marketing, and the importance of a strong technical underpinning
13:35 B2B marketing advice: buyer personas and the golden ratio for marketeers
18:46 The best way to close leads from conferences
21:32 Leveraging AI for marketing
25:02 Varun’s work in Cequence and using AI for cybersecurity
32:03 Discussing the importance of browser security and adversary techniques
41:48 Why marketers should not live in the past or present, but focus on the future
43:38 Closing thoughts and understanding the human factor in marketing
🔔 Follow Varun and Vivek on:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kohlivarun/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/vivekramachandran/

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SquareX helps organizations detect, mitigate, and threat hunt web attacks happening against their users in real-time. Find out more about SquareX at https://sqrx.com/

Kapitler

1. Varun’s journey from IIT graduate to being a cybersecurity CMO with multiple successful exits (00:00:00)

2. People, investors, market size and product: what Varun looks at for companies (00:06:57)

3. The transition from tech to marketing, and the importance of a strong technical underpinning (00:08:40)

4. B2B marketing advice: buyer personas and the golden ratio for marketeers (00:13:35)

5. The best way to close leads from conferences (00:18:46)

6. Leveraging AI for marketing (00:21:32)

7. Varun’s work in Cequence and using AI for cybersecurity (00:25:02)

8. Discussing the importance of browser security and adversary techniques (00:32:03)

9. Why marketers should not live in the past or present, but focus on the future (00:41:48)

10. Closing thoughts and understanding the human factor in marketing (00:43:38)